


Run, Beefcake! Run!

by juiceboxxortiz



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M, Run Fatboy Run AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-05 02:10:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14033868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juiceboxxortiz/pseuds/juiceboxxortiz
Summary: A Juice Ortiz fan fiction based on the movie "Run, Fatboy! Run!"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love this movie, and while watching it a few weeks ago, I got the idea to make Juice the main character. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

_The morning sun flickered through the breeze-blown curtains over her smiling face. She was all his and he was partly hers._

Juice stared at his knees, avoiding the tears, the flared nostrils, the grimacing expression that always came when she was disappointed in him.

_His eyes always widened when he looked at her ever-growing stomach. Widened with fear, with hesitation, with shock that he was given the opportunity to have a family of his own._

The flashing lights made a continuous spotlight over the baby bump that she protected with her arms wrapped around it. With the arrest warrant that had been on him, Juice wouldn’t be protecting either of them where he was going.

_Sweat made his shirt stick to his skin. His kutte felt too tight and his boots felt heavy. He watched her walk down the aisle with a complete look of glee on her face, closer and closer. Chibs placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him like he had all day. It wasn’t enough. Juice ran._

He ran right into Hale and a three year stint in Stockton.

*******

**FIVE YEARS LATER**

Five years later, Juice was still running. This time, it was after a Mayan that was witness to a Sons… interrogation.  
The sun beat down on Juice’s back as he tackled and wrestled the Mayan to the ground. Juice heard Jax and Opie following behind for back up.  
His fist landed squarely on the Mayan’s jaw, then his nose, and as Jax and Opie approached, Juice dragged him to his feet.  
An alert went off in his pocket. Handing the Mayan over to Opie, Juice checked his phone.  
“Ah, shit!” He cussed, shoving the phone back into his pocket. He was meant to pick up Joey an hour before.  
“We got this, you go.” Opie said.  
“Thanks brother, see you back at the clubhouse.”  
Juice turned and legged it back to his bike.

“You are late, Juan.”  
Juice groaned, taking off his helmet. He’d heard that clipped tone before many times.  
“Come on, Dana,” he began.  
“Joey has been waiting. Again.”  
Juice did feel bad. He loved Joey more than anything in the world. But-  
“Don’t tell me. You had to… meet up with the Irish? Go put the Niners in their place? Beat up some Mayans?” She whispered harshly.  
Dana walked towards Juice, grabbing his jaw and turning his head before stepping back.  
Juice raised his hand, wiping at his cheek. Flecks of dried blood came away on his hand.  
He wondered whether she was whispering to save Joey from hearing, when someone appeared in the doorway.  
“The hell…” Juice began, and Dana shot him a look that practically begged him to not say anything.  
“Hello, Ortiz. Thought we’d have to change plans and take Joey out ourselves!” Hale said, standing next to Dana, his hand snaking around her middle.  
Juice hadn’t even noticed Hale’s patrol car parked across the street.  
“What are you-“ Juice began, looking at Dana.  
“We’ll talk about it later. Are you sure you’re okay to take Joey? You’re not just going to get him a Happy Meal and put a candle in a cupcake for his birthday dinner, are you?” Dana asked.  
“Dana…” Juice warned through gritted teeth, hating that Hale was there to witness the usual questioning between Juice and his ex-fiancé.  
If he wasn’t reassuring her over and over that the clubhouse was the safest place for Joey (and herself), he was confirming that Joey wouldn’t be fed a diet of take out and hanging around croweaters all weekend.  
“Alright, alright, just make sure he’s back by 5pm Sunday.”  
Joey emerged from the house, running towards Juice.  
“Dad! You came!”  
“Course I did, buddy! You ready to go to dinner?”  
Joey cheered at Juice’s side.  
“Go say bye to Mom.”  
Joey walked over and hugged Dana, before giving Hale a hug too, much to Juice’s dismay.  
Dana looked away from Juice’s sad, questioning expression, and he led his son over to his bike.

“Alright, you get whatever you want, and don’t forget to save room for dessert.”  
Joey wriggled in happiness in his seat, looking through the diner menu.  
Juice opened his, staring at the list of food he could hardly afford. There was a lack of cash flow, and the club was rationing what they had until the issue was settled.  
“What can I get you both?” The waitress asked.  
“It’s my birthday! Dad said I can have whatever I want.” Joey said, and Juice smiled sheepishly.  
“What a great dad you have.” The waitress replied, flirtatious smile for the cute Puerto Rican.  
Juice felt the clench of guilt in his stomach, knowing that what he was going to do would be another reason for Dana to be disappointed with her choice of baby-daddy. He only hoped she wouldn’t have to find out.  
They ordered, and Joey talked all about school and what he’d been up to that week.  
“How come you didn’t tell me about your mom and the cop?” Juice asked as Joey dug into his sundae.  
Joey stopped eating for a moment, looking down at his lap.  
“Sorry, Dad.”  
Juice wondered if that was how he looked every time he had to apologise to Dana.  
“Oh, hey, no buddy, you don’t have to say sorry. You just usually tell me everything.”  
“Mom said not to tell because it might upset you and it’s only been happening for a few months.”  
Juice sat there, sipping on his Coke, mulling over the fact that Dana had gotten into a relationship with Hale of all people, and had tried to keep it from him.  
As much as he wanted to keep Joey out of it, he had one burning question.  
“Is he good to her? And you?”  
“Yeah, he takes her out for fancy dinners and brings her flowers, presents. He brings me presents too, but they’re way better than flowers.”  
Juice nodded, thinking about how much he messed it all up. But it was Joey’s birthday, and he didn’t want to ruin it for him by being a sad-sack.  
“Come on, finish your dinner, we gotta get to the clubhouse.”  
Juice called the waitress over to get the check, looking at the price and pulling out the few bills he had on him.  
He scrawled a “sorry” on the check, writing the amount he had next to where it said “tip” and slipped the money inside.  
Quickly ushering Joey out of his seat, he took his hand, noticing the waitress quickly approaching the table.  
“Hey!” She called after them, and Juice kept his head down, trying to get to the door.  
“He’s not paid for the meal!”  
The door was so close, and Juice wished upon wished that he’d chosen a table closer to it when a deputy stood up from his seat and in Juice’s path.

“Dana! Dana, come on, let me take him for the rest of the weekend.”  
Juice followed Dana out of the police station. She ignored him as he tried to reason with her.  
“I could have gone back tomorrow with the rest of the money! Please, Dana, they let me go! I didn’t wanna let him down!”  
Dana paused at the door of Hale’s car, cradling Joey in her arms.  
“Well, once again, you did let him down. And me. What a surprise.”  
With that, she opened the door, put Joey in and settled herself in the front seat before Hale drove them away.  
Rubbing a hand over his face, he pulled out his phone and called Chibs.  
“Hey brother, can you pick me up? I’m at the police station.”

After Chibs had taken him back to the diner to collect his bike, they rode to the clubhouse.  
Juice parked, not wanting to go inside knowing what was awaiting him.  
“Dana will get over it. She’s forgiven you every other time. An’ if she doesn’t, I’ll pull the family card.”  
Dana was Chibs’ younger cousin from England who had come to America many years before. Chibs had spent a lot of time going to bat for Juice whenever he’d messed up, and Juice couldn’t measure what he owed Chibs for the amount of times he managed to talk her out of murdering him.  
Chibs patted him on the head in a way only a friend who knew you’d messed up could do, and lead him inside.  
There were balloons, streamers, and a giant banner reading “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY” that Happy had painted, hanging from the roof.  
When everyone saw the look on Juice’s face and the lack of Joey, they fell silent.  
Gemma walked over to Juice, putting her arms around him.  
“It’s okay, baby. She’ll come around.”  
Juice just nodded, wondering if this would be the final straw.  
He passed the bar, the cake that Gemma and the crows had made sitting there. Grabbing a bottle of whatever his hand lay on, he walked off to his dorm room, closing the door behind him.  
Kicking off his boots, he took a long pull from the bottle. He didn’t really feel like drinking, already miserable enough, but didn’t know what else to do.  
Resigning himself to his bed, he lay awake for a while, knowing that Hale was the one who got him out of lock up, and wondering if maybe, just maybe, one day he’d get his shit together.


	2. Chapter 2

Offering to take Joey to school the following Friday, Juice made sure he would be free, getting to Dana’s gate a few minutes before he said he would.  
Juice rang the doorbell, sitting himself on the steps of the porch.   
Walking along the pathway in front of the house were two high school boys. They spotted Juice’s bike, heading over to inspect it, getting closer than he liked strangers to be.  
“Back off.” He called out, and the teens turned to him.  
“Are you the big biker’s bitch, pretty boy?” One of them yelled out.  
Juice stood up, adjusting his jacket at the hip so the boys could see his gun.  
They hightailed it down the street, Juice adjusting his sunglasses as he watched them flee.  
The door opened abruptly, and as Juice spun around to see what was happening, his foot slipped on the step, sending him into the hedge that grew in front of the house.  
“What do you think you’re doing, flashing your piece like that?” Dana scolded him.  
“They were near my bike! It’s not like I pulled it out or anything. And anyway, you’re not allowed to be mad at me, I was on time today.” Juice defended himself, grinning up at her.  
Dana rolled her eyes, but Juice caught a hint of a smile play on her lips.  
Juice pulled himself out of the hedge while Dana called for Joey.  
Joey emerged, his hand holding on to the saintly Hale’s, who was dressed in running gear.  
Juice would have found it hilarious if he wasn’t so annoyed.   
“Hope you don’t mind, I asked if I could walk to school with you guys.”  
“Of course, I fucking mind…” Juice muttered under his breath, earning a warning glance from Dana.  
“Of course, I don’t mind.” Juice said, picturing all the ways he could ask Happy to torture Hale as he ascended the steps with Joey.  
Taking his hand, Juice began pulling Joey along, Hale in tow.  
The school wasn’t far from Dana’s house. They walked along in silence, and before Juice knew it, he was thanking Hale for the dine and dash leniency.  
“No worries, Ortiz. I figured it was the least I could do for Joey on his birthday.”  
Juice stayed silent again for a few minutes before speaking again.  
“Those are some pretty tight threads you got there, Deputy.”  
“Yeah, they’re pretty sweet! All the best running tech, anti-sweat, anti-chafe! If you’re serious about running, you gotta have the best gear.”  
Juice screwed up his nose, not one to talk about bodily fluids so soon after eating breakfast.  
“Well that sounds super disgusting. I can’t think of an incentive to run in California heat.” Juice replied, stopping just outside the school gate.  
“Unless you’re running from the police, right, Juice?” David said, slapping Juice playfully on the arm.  
School rules dictated that there was to be no violence on school grounds. Juice was sure he could get a pass in this case, but he didn’t want to risk it.  
“I run to keep fit, but I also do marathons for charity. I’ll be doing the Charming Charity Run in four weeks, so I’m keeping on top of my training.”  
Juice remembered hearing about the run. The club had joked that they should do a charity bike ride as cover for running guns.  
He didn’t know what had come over him, but the words came out before he had the chance to swallow them.  
“Oh yeah. In the name of self improvement I’m actually going to be running that, too.”  
“Really? I thought registrations were closed. Who are you running for?”  
“I’ve, uhh, I know someone on the, uh, board. Haven’t been assigned anything yet, just waiting for my paperwork to clear.”  
“Oh, cool, well I guess I’ll be seeing you there. Let me know if you want any training tips.” Hale replied with an uncertain look in his eye, before turning to Joey.   
“You have a great day at school, kiddo, I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
And with that, he ran off.  
“What an ass.” Juice said, shaking his head.  
He looked down at Joey when he didn’t call him out for cursing, seeing his son’s attention elsewhere.  
“Whatcha lookin’ at?”  
“Sylvie.”  
Juice followed Joey’s gaze to a girl with shiny brown hair and a sweet little smile as she talked with her friends.  
“That your girlfriend?”  
“No. But she does remind me of a sloth.”  
Juice raised an eyebrow, half confused, half amused.  
“Why a sloth?”  
Joey turned to his dad, a giant smile on his face.  
“I like sloths.”  
Juice smiled back, ruffling Joey’s hair.  
“Have a good day at school, bud. I’ll call you on the weekend.”  
Joey kissed Juice on the cheek and gave him a quick hug before running into school.

Juice raced into the common room of the clubhouse, spotting Chibs seated on a couch.   
“Chibs, I’m in trouble.”  
The older man, exasperated, looked up from his newspaper.  
“Really, Juicy Boy? Was the dine an’ dash not enough for this week?”  
“It’s not that.” Juice replied, explaining the situation to him.  
“Well, we do actually know someone who is probably on the board.”  
Juice stared at Chibs blankly. He couldn’t believe his luck, but also the fact that if this high up acquaintance could manage getting Juice in to the race, he’d actually have to follow through with it.  
“Elliot Oswald. I could get his number, make the call.”  
Juice’s face turned to one of dismay.  
“Do ye’ want to win Dana back? Prove that you’ve matured an’ can be the man you should have been five years ago before you ran out on her an’ your wee lad?”  
“Gee, Chibs, thanks for the encouragement.”  
He shrugged, tapping his paper on the arm of the chair he sat in, waiting for the younger man’s response.   
Chibs was always very good at reading Juice. He knew that he was wanted Dana back and to be a family with her and Joey.  
“Yeah. I wanna beat that asshole Hale, too.”  
“Baby steps, brother. Baby steps. Let’s get you registered and in shape first.”

“This is a bad idea.”  
“Stand up straight, look serious, an’ don’t say anythin’.”  
“What are you both saying?! Stop whispering, I need to know the plan!” Piney piped up, sitting in a wheelchair with a disguise on.  
“If you’d like to come through, Mr Oswald will see you.” Elliot’s secretary said, leading them into his office.  
“So what favour do the Sons need from me now?” Elliot asked, motioning for them to sit.  
“Our boy, Juice, here wants to run in the Charming Charity Run, but he needs registration an’ a charity to run for. We wondered, perchance, if you would be able to assist us.”  
“Oh, sweet Lord,” Oswald uttered, looking at the ceiling.   
Chibs continued, bringing everyone’s attention to not-Piney.  
“We have come across a man, clearly in need. He suffers from dizziness, incontinence, a cough, and kaleidoscopic sight. Or DICKS Syndrome, for short.”  
Piney grumbled under his face mask, but Chibs kicked him in the foot.  
The disbelief on Elliot’s face was excruciating for Juice to look at, and he couldn’t believe that Chibs had talked him into the meeting.  
“Piney, for the love of God, take that infection mask and wig off.”  
Elliot watched them for a moment, Juice in particular.  
“This had better not be for anything illegal.”  
“It’s for love.” Juice said.  
Oswald considered him before nodding, pulling up something on his laptop. After a few minutes scrolling, Oswald sat back in his chair and smirked.  
“Unfortunately I don’t have anything for the terrible ‘DICKS Syndrome’, but I do have someone you can run for that might suit your charitable preference.”

“‘Erectile Dysfunction’. Right, because I’m already not manly enough, now I gotta run on behalf of flaccid cock. And also, ‘kaleidoscopic sight’?”  
“Juice, I got ye’ registered, I got ye’ a charity, what more do ye’ want from me?”  
They walked back to the van, Piney insisting on being pushed for all his efforts.  
Juice loaded the wheelchair in the van and sat in the driver's seat, turning to face Chibs.  
“Why did you not just ask him outright if there was anything he had available?”  
“Because,” Chibs began, “he needed to think we were desperate and charitable.”  
“That’s literally our motto right now, I think he might have gotten that vibe already.” Juice retorted, starting the vehicle and driving away from Oswald’s office.   
“I didn’t want him t’think we were just using him for a favour. Anyway, are ye’ gon’ t’whine all the way home or just be happy that you’re in?”  
Juice drove on, a small smile creeping across his face. He was finally going to show Dana that he could commit, that he could be a man and take care of what was his.

The next morning, Juice arose, looking in the mirror as he got dressed. Studying himself, he felt somewhat confident that he had enough fitness to run around the block a few times.   
He did alright in a sprint, having chased after rival club members. But long distance running wasn’t a class that he attended in school, and he made a habit of not picking it up in adulthood.  
He was by no means fat, but solid, earning him the nickname “Beefcake”.  
As he laced up his running shoes, he reminded himself of why he was doing it, and left his room.  
He walked out the front of the clubhouse, using one of the picnic benches to stretch.  
Chibs pulled up on his bike, turning off the engine. Juice looked over, and Chibs gave him a thumbs up and an encouraging smile.  
Juice returned it, moving off from the bench and beginning to run, starting slowly, trying to pace himself.  
Leaving the garage parking lot, he felt a surge of ego rush through him, picking up speed quickly.  
The clubhouse was barely in sight now, and he felt like he was doing well despite the growing tightness in his chest. A sharp pain in his side made him stop. Doubling over, Juice wheezed until he caught his breath and the pain subsided.  
He stood back up, surveying the distance he had run. A nod of self approval sent him back to the garage, the thought of a slightly further goal in his mind for the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

“I know you hate me, and I know I screw everything up, but why him?”  
Juice had crammed himself into Dana’s very busy bakery, looking for answers.  
“Juan, I’m busy, I have customers to serve and I am not having this discussion with you right now.”  
“Alright, I’ll have a donut.” Juice replied, pulling out his wallet.  
“Excuse me, I was in line first!” An older woman exclaimed from behind him.  
Dana gestured to the woman to come forward, but Juice wasn’t about to let up.  
“Is this a punishment? Because I was so bad you want me to suffer watching you be with the guy that put me away?”  
Dana sighed angrily, hanging her head for a moment before looking up at Juice.  
“This is not a punishment. After you went away - your own fault, might I add - Hale took it upon himself to come around and check up on Joey and I.”  
“That prick, he always fancied you.” Juice began, but shut up quickly when the rage started to appear across Dana’s face again.  
“Hale was kind to us, made sure we weren’t struggling. A few months ago, he asked me on a date and I went. And you know what? It was nice.   
“So we did it again. I thought maybe, this time, I might have gotten it right. Maybe I wouldn’t be left to do everything by myself.”  
The words cut Juice, and even though he knew she was right, he couldn’t help but feel unreasonably heartbroken. He’d done this to himself, he knew, but he had never let go of the hope that they would end up together. Now that potential was slipping away, and he knew it might be too late.  
Dana sighed again, more reserved this time.  
“I really wish that we could have worked this out. But you can’t be committed to something when you always put them second. We were always second to the club. And you.”  
Juice nodded, admitting defeat.   
“Ok, I hear ya. But I hope you can deal with the fact that the guy you are dating voluntarily wears spandex.”  
Dana shook her head, and Juice left the bakery feeling less confident about the marathon and his future.

An alarm somewhere blared, causing Juice to jolt up in bed. His dorm room door swinging open at great speed nearly gave a him a heart attack.  
“GOOOOD MOOOORNIN’!” Bellowed the chipper Scot.  
“Oh come on, Chibs!” Juice groaned, laying back on his mattress.  
The conversation with Dana the day before had Juice hoping that Chibs would forget all about the marathon.   
“Ah-ah, up you get, time to get up and begin ye’ trainin’!”  
Juice was hit in the face with something Chibs had slingshot at him. Sitting back up, Juice held before him a pair of very tight running shorts.  
“Get those on, meet me out the front in five minutes.”

Chibs wasn’t the only one waiting for Juice to emerge.  
Piney sat, idling on his trike.  
“What’s happening?” Juice asked.  
“We’re ye’ support team, ye’ trainers, the ones who will champion ye’ on!” Chibs replied, full of excitement.  
“You might be. I’m here to make sure he finishes so I can wipe the smug look off those bastards faces when I win big.” Piney said, gesturing to the group of Sons sitting up by the garage.  
“Nice legs, Ortiz!” Jax called out.  
Juice was reminded of the spandex abomination he wore. The shorts that Chibs had provided him didn’t quite give him the coverage he desired. They were tight, revealing, and didn’t cover much more than his backside.  
“Is this really necessary?”  
“Everything I’m putting ye through for the next four weeks is necessary.” Chibs replied, standing up from the seat.  
“Now let’s go.”  
“Roll out!” Piney said, revving his engine.  
To the whoops and cheers of the Sons, Juice begin to jog across the parking lot, the shorts creeping up as he moved.

They’d gone a much farther distance than Juice had managed the day before, and he was sweating profusely, barely managing to jog.   
“I want ye’ t’imagine the finish line. You’ve crossed it. Dana is there with the lad, an’ they’re so proud of ye’. You’ve finally finished somethin’ ye’ve started. Hale was sadly unable to finish the race due to being a gigantic twat.” Chibs encouraged from the mountain bike he was perched atop of.  
Piney’s bike roared behind them slowly.  
“I want you to imagine having this stick rammed up your ass if you lose me my savings.” He said, waving the offending stick.  
“What are you going on about, ‘losing your savings’?” Juice asked, huffing and puffing.  
“There’s a bet between the boys that you aren’t going to finish. Chibs and me are in your corner.”  
“How encouraging.” Juice deadpanned, yelping as Piney whipped him across the back of the leg with his stick.  
“Don’t worry about them, we’re goin’ t’help ye’ succeed. You’ll be on a diet of protein, no booze, an’ runnin’ everyday.”  
Juice wondered how much of a real threat Piney had made before. But the idea of Hale being his replacement spurred him on until Chibs and Piney finally allowed him to go back to the clubhouse.

“Oh God, this is torture.”  
“I told ye’, stop moving.” Chibs said, studying the large blister on the sole of Juice’s foot.  
Juice jerked his foot back as Chibs slowly prodded the irritated skin with a needle.  
“No, don’t touch it, just leave it.”  
“Ye’ gonna have t’let me pop it if ye’ want to keep up with ye’ trainin’.”  
Juice shook his head, edging his way up the bed until he’d hit the wall, Chibs approaching menacingly. He grabbed Juice’s foot and Juice cringed.   
“On the count o’ three. One-”  
Chibs jabbed the large needle into Juice’s foot, causing him to let out a mighty scream.  
Chibs screamed too, pulling out the needle in a panic, the blister bursting.  
“I thought you were meant to be a field medic!!”  
“You do remember I was discharged?!”  
After the yelling subsided, Chibs bandaged the foot.  
“Did ye’ want a rub down before bed? Don’t want any cramping muscles.”  
“I’ll pass, thanks.” Juice replied, looking concerned at his aching foot.  
“Alright, off to sleep, sweet dreams.” Chibs said, turning the light out as he left Juice’s dorm, leaving him to lay in the dark with his thoughts and aching body.


	4. Chapter 4

Two weeks had gone by, and Dana had forgiven Juice once again.  
He’d even been invited to come on a play date.  
“Is the Good Cop gonna be there?” Juice asked.  
“David will be coming, yes.” The tension registering in Dana’s voice.  
“Alright. But he’d better not be wearing his spandex. I might have to punch him.”  
Juice swore he heard a chuckle leave Dana, but the sound was quashed by Joey asking if Juice would be coming.  
Juice smiled at his son’s excitement, hanging up and getting ready to meet them at the park.  
“So you’re really going to run in the marathon?”  
Dana and Juice were sat on a park bench, watching as Hale played with the remote control aeroplane that he had bought Joey. Joey watched on, asking Hale every few minutes to have a go, only for Hale to ignore him.  
“Yeah, yeah. You know me, I’m all about being charitable.” Juice responded, distracted by the scene.  
“Seriously, though. Why?”  
Juice looked at the ground, feeling the shame creep in again.  
“I want to show you that I can do it. I can commit. I wanna show Joey that his dad can follow through with what he says he’ll do.”  
“And you wanna beat David and rub it in his face?” Dana offered.  
Juice looked up and saw the smirk, the glint in her eye. No matter how upset Dana got, Juice always thought she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. She was at her most beautiful when she was being cheeky.  
“That’s a perk.” He replied, grinning back.  
They watched on as Hale flew the plane. Juice shook his head, wondering why Hale would bother buying it for Joey in the first place when Dana spoke again.  
“Hey, it’s my birthday coming up. Hale’s throwing me a huge party. Will you come?”  
It was an odd request. Juice wasn’t sure why Dana would want him to come to a party thrown by Hale. Even more confusing was the fact that Dana was allowing Hale to throw her an elaborate party in the first place.  
“But you hate having big parties for your birthday. Can’t be a very good boyfriend if he doesn’t know you don’t like birthday parties.” Juice replied, looking smug.  
“Behave.” Dana replied, shoving him playfully in the arm.  
“Will you come to the party?”   
There was so much hope in her eyes, Juice couldn’t refuse.  
“I’ll be there. On time, even.”  
Her smile widened, and it looked like she was about to say something when an outburst made the both of them jump.  
“Hey! Which one of you punks did that?”  
Hale was addressing a pair of young children who were playing with their own planes.  
“Did you run into my plane? Do you get how much these things cost?”  
The kids looked scared, and the look of disbelief on Juice’s face changed to a look of concern when he saw Dana’s.  
“You okay?” Juice asked, seeing her troubled expression.  
Dana nodded, faking a smile when Joey ran over, Hale following behind.  
“Damn kids! They shouldn’t be allowed to play with these kinds of things if they don’t know what they’re doing. Ruins it for everyone else.” He said, staring at the broken plane.  
“Yeah, those pesky kids, playing with their toys. In a park, of all places!” Juice said.  
Dana was pretending not to hear, but she had her lips clamped together and her face was turning red, trying not to laugh.  
Juice turned to Joey, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.  
“Come on, buddy, we’ll go play with some big boy toys. Burnouts in the parking lot?”  
“Juice…” Dana jokingly warned.  
“Regulation helmet, Ortiz!”  
“Sure thing,” Juice replied, walking away before muttering.   
“Deputy Dipshit.”

“What’s a ‘dipshit’, Dad?” Joey asked while they sat on the roof of the clubhouse.  
Whenever Juice had Joey, and they needed some space from the craziness that was the Sons, they’d climb up to the roof with snacks, laying back and chatting while looking at the night sky.  
It was Juice’s favourite thing to do, and he never felt more like a dad then when he was hanging out and talking with his son.  
“Another word that your mom shouldn’t know that you know.” Juice answered.  
“Dad!” Joey laughed.  
They were quiet for some time before Juice spoke again.  
“Does Hale go off often, like he did today?”  
“Not really. Mom says he likes things ‘just so’ and it annoys him when things aren’t perfect.”  
“Well, if he does anything that makes you or Mom feel unsafe, you tell me right away, okay?”  
Joey pulled another piece of candy out of the bag and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing hard before swallowing it.  
“I will. But Mom said we wouldn’t have to worry about that because you taught her to fight.”  
Juice chuckled, easing back against the roof.  
“That’s my girl.” He muttered to himself.

The training was becoming easier since Chibs had allowed Juice to wear proper running shorts.  
Juice was physically strong, and his stint in prison had kept him that way with his use of weights. The lack of cardio put him at a disadvantage. But it was a disadvantage he was willing to endure.  
“Knees to chest, Beefcake! Knees to chest!” Piney ordered, like a drill sergeant.  
Juice pushed on, his legs beginning to drag as they made another personal best. They were approaching the clubhouse, and when Juice finally made it, he collapsed on one of the couches. Chibs and Piney were still outside and Juice thought he was alone until a deep, gruff voice spoke.  
“I gotta say, it’s a nice change to see this stick.” Clay said, smug smile on his face as he sipped his beer at the bar.  
Even after all these years, Juice was the butt of all commitment jokes. The only thing he’d ever truly given himself to was the club. They were his first sense of family, of some sort of acceptance that he never felt he had. Meeting Dana was… something else. It was a kind of unconditional love he’d never known or understood before. He assumed that’s why he found it so hard to accept and stick with.  
Juice was parched, watching Clay enjoy the icy beverage. He would have killed to chase the run down with a cold beer. Aside from his heavy lethargy, he stopped himself from moving to the bar.  
“I’ve been talking with the boys, and I have a little…” Clay seemed to be looking for the words.  
“A little extra incentive for you.”  
Juice’s interest was peaked, sitting up in the chair.  
“What’s that?”  
“Well,” Clay slid off the barstool, taking a seat across from Juice.  
“Considering your loyalty to the club, how much you have sacrificed for us, I’m willing to extend the bet out to you. Not for money, Piney and Chibs have covered that side of things. I’m thinking more along the lines of your stance with the club.”  
Juice had a small idea what the Sons were offering. He had gone to jail, and despite three years of pressure, never once cracked and ratted on his brothers. The club knew that the time Juice put into them had been a great point of contention for Dana, and it, in part, cost him their relationship.  
He was a great asset to the club. They liked Dana all well and good, but there was always the reminder that the club was his family first and foremost. Juice was always torn between the two, and fear saw him chose the club.  
“We want to offer you an out. You finish this race, you get a clean break from the Sons. No strings, you can go be with Dana and your boy. You’ll always be welcome here, Dana and the boy, too. You’ll still have your job in the garage, if you want it, but no obligation to club business.”  
While the idea of being able have the life he wanted with his family was everything he wanted, he couldn’t help but feel like the Sons weren’t convinced he could finish the race. Did it really matter, though, if he got what he truly wanted?  
“Is this legit?”  
“One hundred percent, brother. Chibs and Piney voted on it, too. Told them not to say anything until I had spoken to you. You in?” Clay held his hand out to Juice.  
Juice took his hand, shaking it.  
“Good luck. You’re gonna need it in case you hit the wall.”  
“The wall?”  
The smug smile appeared again on Clay’s face. He picked up his beer, standing and walking out of the clubhouse, leaving Juice full of mixed emotions.


	5. Chapter 5

The following Saturday, three minutes late, Juice walked into Dana’s house, birthday gift in hand. Hors d'oeuvres were being passed around on trays, and people had come in suits and cocktail dresses.  
Juice was never one for a suit, and this wasn’t the kind of party he was used to. He didn’t mind so much when Dana spotted him, coming over to him in a red cocktail dress, her brown hair hanging long and pretty around her face.  
“Hey, you made it! Mostly on time!” She joked, smiling brightly at him.  
“Well, I would have been on time, but I was waiting for the butler to take my kutte.” Juice replied, pulling her in for a hug.  
“Happy birthday, D. You look beautiful.”  
Dana blushed, and she took in his attire.  
“And you look like Juice.”  
Juice wondered if that was a good thing, the smile on her face telling him it was.  
“Bit of a classy shindig. Chibs said he’d be along in a bit.”  
“Yeah, David really pulled out all the stops.”  
“Ortiz! You made it, and you have a gift!” Hale greeted him, walking over.  
“Might be a bikie, but I know it’s bad manners to go to a birthday party without a gift.” Juice responded, handing over the small box to Dana.  
Slipping the bow off, Dana took of the lid, and her expression dropped to one of shock.  
There in the box lay a fine chain with a flat pendant, a D engraved on to it. On the other side, a J.  
Dana’s lip quivered, and she spoke with disbelief.  
“How did-”  
“D for you, J for Joey. The present’s from him, too.” Juice interrupted. “Where is the little man?”  
“He’s in the yard, playing with some of our friend’s kids.” Hale said, turning to Dana.  
“Well I hope I can surprise you as much with my gift tonight!” Hale continued, trying to joke around.  
“I better go find Joey.” Juice said, ignoring Hale, turning and walking towards the backyard.

The party was in full swing, Juice spending the majority of the night with Joey and Chibs.   
Around 9pm, Hale made his way up the stairs to the back porch, asking for quiet amongst the guests.  
“We’re here tonight to celebrate Dana.”  
The guests clapped, and Juice watched as Dana hesitantly ascended the stairs to stand next to Hale.  
“As most of you know, I’m Deputy Sheriff Of Charming’s police department.”  
This was met with many cheers, and Hale waving his hand to the crowd.  
“As some of you may not know, I also partake in running for charity.”  
“Oh, they all definitely know about it.” Chibs whispered to Juice, the both of them stifling laughter.  
“Running requires passion, determination, and something I’ve needed a lot of with Dana, stamina.”  
The look on Dana’s face made Juice want to run up there and punch Hale in the face. The crowd laughed, but Dana wasn’t, and neither was Juice.  
“Well, that’s just inappropriate.” Chibs said, putting a hand on Juice’s shoulder.  
Juice fought the urge to cause a scene.  
“The point is, running and love require heart. And Dana has more heart than anyone I’ve ever known.”  
Bending down, Hale picked up a box and handed it to Dana.  
She opened it, a fleeting look of confusion on her face.  
“Ah, sneakers!” She said, trying to sound excited.  
“Hold on just a moment, can I see that a sec?”  
Dana passed Hale the box, and Juice had a sudden realisation.  
“Oh God, no.”  
“What?” Chibs asked.  
Juice didn’t respond, pleading and hoping that what was to come wasn’t actually happening.  
“Usually, I run my races alone. I was wondering if you’d run them with me?”  
Hale held out a smaller box, opening it to Dana.  
Juice was trying to keep it together for Joey’s sake, but inside he was screaming at Dana to reject Hale.  
He could see she was uncomfortable. The tension in the room was thick, everyone waiting for her answer.  
“Yes…?” Dana replied.  
The backyard erupted with joy and congratulations.  
Juice’s world paused for a moment. He wanted to fight Hale, to beg Dana to reconsider, to cry, to be sick. It was overwhelming.  
Chibs had noticed, and Juice startled at Chibs waving a hand in front of his face. Snapping out of his paralysing state, Juice began walking through the crowd of people, feeling claustrophobic. He reached the front porch before he heard Dana call out to him.  
“I suppose congratulations are in order.” Juice said, his voice thick with emotion, struggling to breathe.  
“I don’t want to talk about that. Are you okay?”  
Juice looked anywhere but at Dana.  
“I’m fine. Just best to get to bed. You know, training and all.”  
Juice swallowed hard, but a small hitch escaped his throat when he saw the necklace around her neck.  
Dana realised what Juice had seen, clutching at the piece of jewellery.  
“How on Earth did you get this?”  
It took Juice a minute to compose himself. He remembered when he’d given it to Dana for her birthday. He remembered putting all their savings to club business without speaking with her and Dana hocking it to pay for groceries. He remembered the crushing realisation that he was immature, selfish, feeling like no matter what he did to try and change, he would never be good enough for her. Juice would spend the two years before he ran out on her trying and failing, despite that feeling.  
“After you’d sold it, I found out where it was. Asked the guy to hold on to it for me, even though it took me years. For some reason he kept it for me. When I got out of Stockton, I bought it back at three times what it cost. Was gonna give it to you on our wedding night. Ya know, if you were ever insane enough to let me be your husband after the first attempt.”  
Dana closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, Juice seeing tears trying to escape.  
“You held on to it all this time?”  
Juice nodded, moving closer to Dana, taking her hand away from the pendant and holding it in his.  
“Don’t be sad. Go celebrate. Tell Jake I’ll see him during the week.”  
Bring her hand to his lips, he kissed her knuckle, letting go before turning and walking towards his bike.

“Rise and shine, lad. Less than a week to go now, can’t stop training yet.”  
Juice didn’t bother opening his eyes. Pulling the blanket tight around him, he grumbled at Chibs.  
“Go away.”  
Chibs pulled away the blanket, Juice groaning into his pillow.  
“I’m not running, so save it. Let me go back to sleep.”  
“No, you’re doing this. Piney and I have a lot of money on this, and ye’ve come too far t’give up now.”  
“SHE PICKED HALE!” Juice shouted, sitting up in bed.  
Chibs pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head defeatedly. Juice felt horrible for yelling at him, but he couldn’t see the point in running anymore.  
“Fine. Fine, give up. Run away and hide, like y’always do. I know for a fact that she doesn’t want t’marry him. But you givin’ up now doesn’t give her much of a chance to make the right decision.”  
Chibs made to leave, but turned to throw one more deserved jab.  
“Maybe you and Dana won’t be together. But don’t forget who else you’re doing this for. You want Joey to keep knowing you as the dad who never comes through? Or do you want Hale to become the dad he never had? Think about it.”  
Juice threw his pillow at the door as Chibs closed it behind him.  
It opened up again soon after, and Clay walked in.  
“Heard you ain’t running.”  
“You heard right.”  
“I guess, then, the little bet is off. Get up, club has church in a few minutes, got a job for you to do.”  
Juice nodded once, and Clay left him to get dressed.


	6. Chapter 6

Juice was avoiding Dana’s calls for a few days. She’d left messages, asking him to contact her, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk to her. When he wasn’t working at the garage, or doing things for the club, he was avoiding all the comments of “I knew it!” as well as Chibs and Piney.   
Juice couldn’t stand Chib’s disappointment, and he knew Piney was out for blood. The roof was the best place to hide from him, as Piney couldn’t make it up the ladder.  
It was Wednesday night, and Juice was sitting on the roof, eating from the candy bag. His phone rang. Dana.  
“Hello.”  
“Juan Carlos, what the hell? I’ve been calling and messaging for four days!”  
Juice rubbed his eyes, not in the mood to be chastised.  
“Yeah, I know, I’ve been busy.”  
“Look, I know you’re hurt, but I need you to talk to Joey.”  
Juice sat up, concern building.  
“What’s wrong with Joey?”  
“He’s… not taking David’s and my news very well.”  
That makes two of us, Juice thought.  
“What could I do about that?”  
“Can you please come and talk to him? Tell him it’s going to be great, and that no one is replacing you. You’re still his dad.”  
“I’m not going to lie to my kid!” Juice snapped.  
“You’ve had no issue making promises to him you can’t keep before, what’s the difference now?!” Dana shouted back.  
They fell quiet for a moment.   
“Fine. I’ll pick him up on Friday after school.”  
“Don’t you have the race on Saturday to get ready for?”  
“Don’t worry about that.”  
“You’re not going, are you?”  
Juice’s silence was enough to answer.  
Dana sighed.  
“I’ve gotta see his teacher Friday afternoon. I’ll pick him up, you meet us at the house.”  
“Sure. See you then.” Juice replied, ending the call.

That Friday afternoon, Juice trudged his way over to Dana’s house. It was warm, and Juice wasn’t looking forward to his task, though he’d missed Joey.  
Strolling up the path to the house, he knocked.  
Hale met him at the door.  
“Dana isn’t back yet, you want to come in?”  
“I’ll wait out here.”   
Juice sat on the front step, Hale taking the hint and going back inside.  
It wasn’t long before Juice could see Dana approaching.  
“JUICE!”  
He stood, seeing Dana better. She was running towards the house in a sheer panic.  
Grabbing her as she reached him, he held her while she caught her breath.  
“Joey hasn’t come back here? He’s not with you?”  
“No, I thought you were picking him up after your meeting.”  
Hale had heard the commotion and came out.  
“I was. I went to the meeting, Joey sat outside the classroom, but when I came out, he was gone. No one had seen him.”  
Dana was on the verge of tears, Juice pulled her close.  
“Why didn’t you call? I could have gotten the guys to start looking for him.” Hale asked.  
“Not the point, Deputy!” Juice snapped. “I’ll find him, you stay here in case he comes back.”  
“Call me as soon as you find anything out.” Dana said.  
Juice hugged her tight before he took off, running down the street. Charming was a small town, but it was big enough to hide a boy not wanting to be found.  
He pulled out his phone.  
“Chibs! Joey’s run away.”  
No matter what had gone on with Juice, Chibs would always be there for his family, and Juice was greatful.   
“We’ll split up, you take the east side of town, I’ll take the west.”  
Checking the park, ice cream parlour, the mall, the diner, all the places Juice knew Joey enjoyed, it was his turn to panic. He came to the clubhouse to check his dorm.  
No sight of him there, and none of the Sons having seen Joey, he quickly moved from panic to frustration. He called Chibs and asked if he’d seen him, but the older man hadn’t had any luck, either.  
But there was the one place he hadn’t looked. Climbing the ladder, Juice called out to his son.  
If it hadn’t been for a sniffling sound, Juice might have never found him.  
Looking around the air conditioning vent, Juice’s heart unclenched, seeing Joey with his arms around his legs and his head on his knees.  
“Dad!” Joey exclaimed upon seeing Juice, leaping up at him.  
Juice grabbed Joey in a bear hug.  
“Oh buddy, we were so worried! Are you okay?”  
Joey nodded, wiping the sleeve of his shirt over his face.  
Juice looked him over, seeing no physical damage.  
He called Dana to let her know that Joey was found, before questioning Joey again.  
“Why did you run away?”  
“Is mom mad at me?”  
Juice chuckled, putting his arm around Joey.  
“No way. Just scared.”  
Joey gulped, sniffing again before answering.  
“Sylvia doesn’t like me.”  
Juice was confused.  
“Is that why you ran away?”  
Joey shuffled next to Juice.  
Waiting patiently, Juice knew there was more to it than a girl at school not liking him.  
“I don’t want mom to get married to Deputy Dipshit.”  
Juice hoped that Joey had never said that in front of Hale or Dana.  
Picking Joey up and sitting him on his lap, he looked at his son. If ever there was going to be an opportunity for Juice to pass on wisdom as a father, this was it.  
“As you get older, there’s gonna be stuff that happens that you don’t like. When those things happen, you can't just run away.”  
“Why not?”   
“Because it doesn't solve the problem. You've got to figure out a way to solve the problem, even if it's really, really... hard.”  
Juice stared off into the distance, having his own personal revelation.  
“Dad?”  
“Buddy, I gotta take you back to your mom’s tonight.”

“Chibs!” Juice pounded on Chibs’ front door.  
“Joey back home, then?” Chibs replied, leaning casually on the door frame.  
“He’s at Dana’s.”  
Chibs nodded.  
“She called me.”  
“Sorry I let you down.” Juice said, no time for excuses.  
Chibs shrugged, obviously pretending to not be phased.  
“I’m running tomorrow.” Juice said, holding up his running gear.   
The spark was back in Chibs’ eyes and he grinned broadly.  
“Well, ye’ better get in here then!”  
While Juice set himself up on the couch, Chibs came in with a large plate of pasta.  
“Gotta load up on carbs before a big race. Read it in Cosmo.”  
“We should probably get some rest, I gotta be up early.”  
Chibs agreed, and they settled in for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

“GET UP! GET UP!”  
Chibs was screeching like a banshee, tossing things around his apartment much to his neighbours dismay.  
“SHUT UP, IRISH!”  
“WE HAVE A RACE T’GET TO! AN’ FOR THE LAST TIME YE’ IGNORANT PRICK, I’M SCOTTISH!”  
Juice checked the time on his phone, bolting out of bed.  
“No, no time to get changed now, grab ye’ stuff and get on ye’ bike!”  
Juice grabbed what he needed and Chibs pulled the door behind them.  
Speeding over to Main Street, Juice prayed he wouldn’t get pulled over. But luck was on his side that day, and he made it with a little time to spare.  
“Get changed behind here.” Chibs took his jacket off, holding it up around Juice’s lower half for him to dress behind.  
“Thanks, brother.”  
Juice pulled off his shirt, dropping his jeans. As he bent to put on his shorts, Juice felt like he was being watched. Turning his head, he saw a group of marathon bystanders ogling him.  
Madly looking around for Chibs, Juice spotted him talking to a middle aged blonde lady.  
“CHIBS!”  
Chibs jolted, rushing back over.  
“Don’t worry, Juicy Boy, they were all checking you out. You’re fit!”  
If he wasn’t so nervous, Juice might have felt flattered. In the past four weeks, Juice had begun to trim down, feel better, the best he had in years.  
Now he was putting himself to the biggest test so far, and he was beginning to doubt himself.  
Lacing up his sneakers, he stood, seeing the line up of many runners.  
“It’s time.” Chibs said.  
Juice took his place, hoping that he’d blend into the crowd and not make a fool of himself. It was harder than it should have been, the shirt emblazoned with “ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION” in giant letters.  
Looking around at the crowd, he tried to spot Dana and Joey, but no luck.  
“They’re at home, watching on the TV.”  
Juice looked over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at the sight of Hale.  
“Don’t worry if you don’t finish. People tend not to on their first race. I am surprised, though, I didn’t think you’d get this far.”  
“Surprising you, my goal in life.”  
Hale seemed to be under the impression that he no longer had to try and be civil with Juice.  
“Well, you don’t have the best track record, do you?”  
Juice looked directly at Hale, pure hatred in his eyes.  
“That was then. This is now.”  
“You might show Dana that you can commit, but she already said ‘yes’ to me. Don’t forget that.”  
Juice wanted to hit him, and maybe the Juice from five years before would have. But now he was channeling the rage into determination.  
“Don’t feel like you have to keep up with me.”  
Juice got in the final word. “Right back atcha.”  
The starting gun fired. Juice ran.

“Great job, what you did with Joey yesterday.”  
It had only been five minutes into the marathon, and Juice was already hoping that Hale’s ego would take over and he’d run ahead.  
“Thanks.”  
“Dana was so appreciative. I mean, she couldn’t show it to you, but she definitely showed it to me. For quite a while.”  
Juice’s stomach turned, but he pushed on.  
“Hale, you got the girl. Isn’t it enough?”  
“It’ll be enough when you realise that no matter what you do, it’s over, and you are not enough. Otherwise,”  
Hale began to speed up.  
“You’re going to struggle when we move to Chicago.”  
Juice nearly stopped in his tracks. Dana and Joey were leaving.  
 _It’s mind games. He’s playing mind games._  
Juice picked up the pace.  
“Slow down, Beefcake. Don’t wanna overdo it.”  
“I can lose weight, work on being a better man. But you’ll always be an asshole.”  
Juice was focussed, only looking ahead.

The day was hot, the miles were long. Charming was a small town, unless you were covering the whole area by foot.   
Hale has finally kept his mouth shut for longer than a minute, putting all his own efforts into running, and Juice was thankful.  
It didn’t last forever.  
“What are you trying to prove? She doesn’t love you anymore.”  
“I’m not doing this for Dana.”  
That was a lie. He was. But he wanted to be a better man for all of them, regardless of whether Dana wanted him or not. Juice was tired of living his life the way he was. There was more to it than living for himself. He only wished he realised it five years ago.  
“Sure, pal.”  
Juice didn’t see it coming. He felt Hale’s foot connect with his ankle, and without thinking he reached out, dragging Hale to the ground with him.  
The pain shot through this ankle, and didn’t let up.  
“Stay down.” A voice said to him.  
As much as he wanted to object, he sat up.  
One of the medics that had been placed around the track checked over the joint, telling him he had a severe sprain.  
“Help me up.”  
“You can’t-“  
“Help me up!” Juice repeated, and the medic hesitantly assisted him.  
Juice looked down at Hale in disgust as he writhed in agony on the floor. He looked back to the medic.  
“Thanks. You see what happened?”  
The medic nodded.  
“Good. Make sure everyone else knows.”  
It was petty, but Juice felt he owed himself this one luxury.  
He started off trying to walk, stumbling on his first step. Again and again, he stepped, until he began to cope more and more with the pain. He wasn’t running, but he was going to finish the race.


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the competitors had well and truly passed Juice. Most had probably finished. But as the afternoon wore on, so did Juice.  
He thought we was hallucinating when the low rumble of a bike came towards him.  
“Juicy! What are ye’ doin’, lad?”  
“Gotta finish. I’m not giving up.”  
“You daft bastard. No one would blame ye’ if ye’ did! Ye’ve got a sprained ankle!”  
Juice looked over at his friend, confused.  
“How did you know?”  
“There was a medic, he went and told the officials what happened. I’d gone back to the clubhouse to watch with the boys an’ they announced that there was a report of the bloke runnin’ for erectile dysfunction bein’ tripped.”  
Juice chuckled through the pain, reminding himself to thank the guy if he got to see him again.  
“I got straight on m’bike, thought you’d be in an ambulance or at the hospital, but there was no one there by your name. Hale was there though.”  
Juice laughed again, harder this time. If nothing else, there had been a small piece of justice for Juice.  
Chibs told Juice as he rode alongside him about seeing Dana and Joey in the hospital waiting room. They’d been watching the race and heard what happened, coming to the hospital to check on Juice.  
“We got called in an’ the doctor had no record of ye’, but there was a runner who’d been brought in. Was Hale.  
“I let Dana and the boy in to see him, but I listened in to hear what had happened. His story was that ye’d tripped him, but we’d heard different. Apparently he wasn’t even injured, just hit the wall.”  
The new information spurred Juice on even further.  
“You should know, he yelled at Joey. Called him a ‘little shit’. Kid was playing with the buttons on the bed an’ Hale went right off. Spoke to Dana like shite, too. Don’t think she was very impressed.”  
The smirk disappeared from Juice’s face.  
“If you wanna go see them, I’ll take you there now.”  
“No. Dana’s tough, she’ll handle it. I gotta keep going. You go back to the finish line.”  
“No way, I’m with ye’ til ye’ done.”

The sun was setting, and Juice only had a few miles to go, but fatigue was setting in and the pain in his ankle was excruciating.  
A crowd had slowly been forming, watching in awe as Juice continued on. The journalists who had come to televise the event had come along to report on the runner that wouldn’t give up.   
“Oh boy.” Chibs had noticed something over Juice’s shoulder.  
The roar of more motorbikes sounded, cruising right up to Juice.  
“Haven’t you given up get?” Jax joked.  
“Don’t listen to them, keep going.” Chibs said.  
“Pull over, boy, I got something for you.” Piney said, and Juice saw a splint in his hand.  
Chibs attached it for Juice, strapping him in.  
Feeling some of the pressure release, Juice started moving again, slowly, trying to press on. Stopping for those few moments made him feel even more lethargic, wanting to stay still, lay down.  
The others taunted him over the noise of the crowd.   
“Don’t be soft, Ortiz, run like a man!”  
“You won’t make it, you’re barely moving now!”  
“We’re your family, we need you.”  
“Dana’s not gonna want you back because you can run faster now!”  
Between the fatigue, the pain, and the emotional impact of their words, Juice stopped. He swayed on the spot, unable to remember how to move his legs.  
Everyone’s voices became muffled, and all Juice could see through the sweat and the darkness of the coming night was the long road he still had to run.  
 _It’s too far. Don’t let them down. Hale has already won. You’re not a quitter anymore. Dana doesn’t love you. **Show Joey the man you want him to be.**_  
Dragging his foot, the toe of his shoe clipping the ground, Juice stumbled forward.  
“Come on, Juice, another step.” Chibs encouraged.  
Juice did it again, a little steadier. Again and again he pushed himself to go forward, and soon the only thing that was slowing him down was his limp.  
When Juice had hit the wall, a lot of the reporters and crowd had thought he was done, heading home. The few that remained consisted mainly of the Sons and one reporter, and few club associates.  
The crowd was quiet as he jogged along. The moon and stars had begun to make an appearance.  
As Juice rounded on to Main Street, the crowd hung back.  
His eyes blurred with tears as he saw the finish line and who was standing under it.  
Joey ran forward, meeting Juice, taking his hand and jogging with him.  
“No, stay there!” Juice called out as Dana made to go to him.  
“If you come out here, I won’t finish. I’m coming to you.”  
He pushed through the last few metres, crossing the line before reaching Dana.  
He dropped to his knees before her, breathing heavy, taking Joey into his arms and hugging him like it was life or death.  
Dana knelt down before him, putting her arms around him, Juice resting his head in the crook of her neck.  
“I’m so proud of you.” Dana said, choking back the tears.  
“I would have settled to not be a disappointment to you.” Juice replied, taking a deep breath and holding her close.  
“You’re not. You’re so much more than that.” Dana replied, pulling back and cupping Juice’s face in her hands.  
“That was a really dumb thing you did today.”  
“Don’t go to Chicago.”  
“I’m not going anywhere.”  
Joey was jumping around the pair as the Sons joined them.  
“Can’t believe you did it.” Clay said, shaking Juice’s hand when he got up.  
“First time for everything.”  
“We’re gonna miss you, brother.”


	9. Epilogue

**FIVE MONTHS LATER**

Juice knocked on the door, fifteen minutes earlier than he said he’d be.  
Dana opened the door, Joey tearing out and jumping into Juice’s arms.  
“Hey, buddy! Ready to hang out?”  
“Yes!”  
“Did you get your helmet?”  
Joey shook his head, hopping down from Juice and running back inside.  
“Hey, D.”  
“Hey.” Dana grinned back, happy to see him.  
“You look good.”  
Juice gave her a slightly flirtatious grin, saying it to Dana every time he saw her.  
“And you keeping looking better.”  
Juice had kept up his training, kept working at the garage, and gotten his own apartment. He spent all his free time with Joey and Dana as a family, and it had been working well for them for the past five months.  
“Hey, uh, I was wondering, if you weren’t busy next Friday. Could you maybe get a sitter?”  
Dana looked confused.  
“I could manage that, why, is there something wrong?”  
“No, nope, just wondering if my baby mama would wanna spend some kid-free time with her baby daddy.”  
Dana blushed, reaching up to the pendant she had worn since Juice gave it to her.  
“Like… a date?”  
Juice’s cheeks tinged pink this time, a coy smile on his face. He shoved his hands in his pockets.  
“I mean, if you wanna call it that, I wouldn’t say no.”  
Dana pondered for a moment, Joey rushing back out past her and into Juice’s arms once again.  
“I’d like that.”  
“Great, awesome.” Juice was flustered, turning his attention to Joey.  
“Alright, buddy, give your mom a kiss goodbye.”  
Joey leant forward, pulling Dana in and kissing her cheek.  
“Be good for your dad.”  
Juice leant around the other side, kissing her cheek softly.  
“Dad, can mom come to dinner with us tonight?”  
“If she wants to. Don’t worry, we won’t dine and dash.”  
Dana giggled, nodding her head.  
“I’ll grab my bag.”  
Walking to the car, Joey grabbed both Juice’s and Dana’s hands. It was the perfect picture to Juice, and there was nothing to stop him from making it a reality.


End file.
